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Silverstone FT02B-W w/ USB 3.0

Case

As part of Silverstone's "Fortress" line, the FT02B-W brings a very unique approach to computer chassis design. It mounts the motherboard with the rear ports facing upward, and has intake fans on the bottom instead of the front. This allows the airflow to follow normal convection patterns, with heat rising naturally, but this abnormal layout can also have some side effects.

Video cards longer - or effectively taller - than 12 inches may interfere with the intake fans, and cable management is done on the top rather than back of the system. There is an included shroud that goes over the ports to keep things looking clean, but that limits the length of things that can stick out the 'back' of the motherboard.

Because of the natural airflow pattern and included noise dampening foam this case is very quiet without any additional hardware. It uses larger than normal fans, though, so there is no point to adding a fan upgrade kit - but the included fans are quiet enough for most needs.

Finally, the current incarnation of the FT02 updates both of the front ports to USB 3.0 specifications. This requires a motherboard with an internal USB 3.0 header in order to function - or if that is not present, we carry USB 3.0 expansion cards which can fill the needed role. This specific version also has a window on the left side of the chassis.

Note: Top 5.25" bay may not be usable due to space limitations; case includes Acoustipack-like material pre-installed

Jon Bach (President) Says:This is an interesting concept for a chassis. I really like that the heat can rise up and through the case, and the design is quite elegant. It is quiet, and good at cooling. But it is also huge, so be sure to check the dimensions and measure where you'll be putting the computer! We also have done a lot of testing to find that the "vertical cooling" concept really is more hype than reality. The effect is nearly negligible.

William George (Puget Labs) Says:This case has absolutely amazing cooling. Its easily the best cooling non liquid-cooled case we sell, but the case layout means you have to be careful of a few things. First: all the ports come out the top of the case. That's may not a huge deal for most people, but if you want to plug in something long (like a USB wireless card) you may not be able to use the top cover. Second, longer 5.25" devices simply will not fit since they would run into the motherboard. Similarly, video cards longer than 12" will not fit due the the lower fan locations.
If your thinking of running a high-end SLI machine, this case is definitely one to take a look at. Its larger and slightly louder than our Antec cases, but you can't beat it's cooling power.

Note: We have designed custom shipping materials for this case. Specially made foam and boxes provide superior protection during shipping! Click here for more details.